EightyFive Percent
by strongandsilentalchemist
Summary: Edward and Winry reflect on the day Ed proposed to her. Oneshot.


Edward sat up on the operating table, looking fondly down at Winry. She was updating his automail, making it lighter and bigger, or something like that. He was proud to say that after a few years of Al coming back, he was actually beginning to grow. It also might have helped that he drank a couple of glasses of milk now and again, just to please his new wife.

It was nice not to feel that he had to hide his love anymore. For a long time, Edward had just pretended that he didn't have any romantic feelings for her. He had to hide his smile every time he heard her voice. Wouldn't let her know how happy it made him feel when she told him to hurry home and be careful. Tried not to hug her too tight when she launched herself out at him when he finally arrived home. And he also had to suppress an urge to grab her and kiss her whenever his face was close to hers.

As he thought back to that time, he began to wonder. When was it that he finally decided to propose to Winry? And why hadn't he done it before? Was it out of embarrassment? Was he worried that she would laugh at him? And what about fear? Was he afraid that she would reject him? Edward may not have wanted to admit it, but rejection from Winry would be like having part of him lost forever. To have his childhood friend, who slowly became something much more, say she didn't feel the same way? It would break his heart. So Edward decided that it was out of fear that he had put off declaring his love to Winry.

Then he almost began to laugh at himself. Trying to defeat Father and save Amestris, Edward had battled monsters daily. He faced death and the truth time and time again. He saw countless friends die in battle. But it was his unending courage that finally saw the people of Amestris to the end. He managed to save an entire country with his bravery. And yet – the thing he longed to do most, he still couldn't work up the courage to do.

Then he remembered when he finally declared his love to Winry with a proposal. He was so nervous. But he proposed in his own way, relating his love for her in the only terms he knew – alchemy. His alchemy was long gone, and he couldn't help hoping that it wouldn't work the same with Winry.

_"Equivalent Exchange!" he shouted. "I'll give you half of my life if you give me half of yours!"_

He started laughing this time, as he remembered his proposal and her reaction. His joy at seeing her face light up when she realized what he was asking. And then she began to bargain.

_"How 'bout if I just give you my whole life?" she asked. And then she paused. "Well, maybe not my whole life. 90 percent? 80? 70? Seventy is too low, but ninety is too high. Eighty is good, but it doesn't seem quite right. How 'bout eighty-five? That seems like a nice number." She looked up, sheepish, as Ed began to laugh._

"Ed! Ed!" Winry's sweet voice jolted Edward out of his memories. He hadn't noticed that Winry had stopped working and was staring up at him the same way he was a minute ago. He wondered how he could ever have wondered if she liked him. It was so obvious to him now.

"Are you thinking about that day too?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," he replied, smiling. "I was so hopeless back then."

"It took you forever! I was always trying to get you to notice that I liked you! But you were always so prickly to me that I couldn't tell what you thought! I didn't think you liked me the way I liked you."

"I've always loved you, Winry," he said. "I was just afraid of rejection. But then, I guess that's what you do for the ones you love. You risk everything for them." he smiled. "And sometimes it turns out well."

"I guess that's equivalent exchange then, right? The greater the risk, the greater the reward. Which reminds me. I said eighty-five percent, right?"

Ed smiled.

"So, my automail is a big part of my life, right? So I guess that would count. I gave you a leg. That can count as forty percent, since it's so important. Your arm that you used to have can count as fifteen, because you don't still have it. So, that means I need another twenty-five percent." She stopped, deep in thought. "Hey Truth," she called out to no one in particular, "Got any more limbs you want? Now's your last chance!"

Ed laughed as he hopped down off the operating table. He pulled her body close to his. "You can have my whole life," he said softly into her ear. "There's no one I'd rather give it to."

**AN Hope you enjoy this. The review button is right down there. I would love any feedback, critical or positive. I just watched the last episode of FMA Brotherhood and felt I had to write something for the Ed proposal scene. I watched it several times and will watch it many more :) **


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